140 THE LIFE OF PASTEUR 



"When you have mastered the one or two lame facts which stiH 

 land in the way. As a citizen, as head of the Universite, 

 And, if I may say so, as your friend, I wish I could follcw 

 your experiments day by day. 



*'You know that I should like to found a special college at 

 Alais. Please watch for any useful information on that subject. 

 "We will talk about it on your return. 



**I am obliged to M. Gernez for his assiduous and intelligent 

 collaboration with you.'* 



This letter from the great Minister is all the more interest- 

 ing that it is dated from the eve of the day when the law on 

 the reorganization of primary teaching w^as promulgated. 



The introduction into the curriculum of historical and 

 geographical notions; the inauguration of 10,000 schools and 

 30,000 adult classes; the transformation of certain flagging 

 classical colleges into technical training schools; a constant 

 struggle to include the teaching of girls in Universite organiza- 

 tion ; reforms and improvements in general teaching ; the build- 

 ing of laboratories, etc., etc. — into the accomplishment of all 

 these projects Duruy carried his bold and methodical activity. 

 No one was more suited than he to the planning out of a 

 complete system of national education. He and Pasteur were 

 indeed fitted to understand each other, for each had in the same 

 degree those three forms of patriotism: love for the land, 

 memories for the past, and hero worship. 



In May, 1867, Pasteur received at Alais the news that a 

 grand prize medal of the 1867 exhibition was conferred upon 

 him for his works on wines. He hastened to write to Dumas — • 



**My dear master, . . . Nothing has surprised me more — • 

 or so agreeably, — than the news of this Exhibition prize medal, 

 which I was far from expecting. It is a new proof of your 

 kindness, for I feel sure that I have to thank you for originat- 

 ing such a favour. I shall do all I can to make myself worthy 

 of it by my perseverance in putting all difficulties aside "^rom 

 the subject I am now engaged in, and in which the light ia 

 ^rowing brighter every day. If that flachery disease had not 

 /ome to complicate matters, everything would be well by now 

 I cannot tell you how absolutely sure I now feel of my con** 

 illusions concerning the corpuscle disease. I could say a great 

 deal about the articles of Messrs. Bechamp, Estor and Bal- 

 kan!, but I will follow your advice an^ answer nothing ..." 



Dumas had been advising Pasteur not to waste his time by 



